THE last ship to sail out of Mostyn before the port undergoes massive expansion left at high tide a few minutes before 1pm on Wednesday.

Docks boss Jim O'Toole and staff members boarded the 1,703-tonne Samin Trader ­ a Maltese-registered vessel which is carrying Corus structural steel to Ireland - to wish her captain and crew bon voyage.

Mostyn has been a port for more than 400 years. Work is now under way on a #17m scheme to extend the docks as a terminal for twice-daily ferry services to Dublin.

The project marks the realisation of a dream for Jim and his wife Pat, who helps run the family-owned business as company secretary.

Agreement with P&O Irish Sea Ltd to launch ferry services primarily for freight and drive on, drive off commercial traffic will boost the present workforce from 35 to 120.

The first phase of the project involved construction of a 120-metre riverside berth and redevelopment of five acres of dockside land.

The second phase will add another 180 metres of berth and 20 acres of land for cargo-handling and warehousing.

A 'roll on, roll off' terminal is also being built following a long-term agreement with ferry operator P&O Irish Sea Ltd who have confirmed they will launch the new Mostyn-Dublin service late this summer.